researchreportteamtwofandomcom-20200214-history
Research Report Template
=Template for the Research Report= A typical report has these sections: *Title page *Summary *Acknowledgements *Table of Contents *List of Figures (if needed) *List of Tables (if needed) *Glossary (if needed) *Introduction *Main Report Sections *Conclusion and Recommendations *References *Appendices Title Page (HOPE) # The title of the document #The function of the title is to tell the reader at a glance what the document is about. The title is extremely important, because it lets readers know right away whether they need to read the document or not. #Limit the number of words in the title. Short titles are best. Be specific. Use keywords for the title. Avoid generic titles like “Technology study” which could be a study on anything with anyone and tells the reader little about the precise content of the document. #Place the title about one third of the way down the page. # Authors’ names #Readers look for the author’s name (in this case, authors’ names) when they are trying to find a document, so your name must be prominent on the title page. # Date #The date is useful for orienting readers and helping them to identify the document. Center the date at the bottom of the page. State the month and year only. # Additional information on the title page #You may also wish to include the name of the organization or institution which produced the document, the nature of the document, and the name(s) of the intended reader (or readers). Summary (JENNIFER) The summary is a brief (200 words maximum) overview of the content of the report. It answers the question: “What is this report about?” It is usually written in three paragraphs. Avoid using “I” in the summary. Avoid use of the passive voice. Avoid mentioning what you have left out of the report: the summary covers only what is in the report. Place the summary immediately after the title page on a page of its own. Acknowledgements (GINA) Express thanks to people who helped you complete the assignment and to any others who facilitated you as you completed the assignment. Do not overdo this section of the report. Table of Contents (BATUL) Your Table of Contents may be shorter than the list of possible elements given in the overview on page 1 of this document. If you have no tables, for example, clearly you do not need to include a List of Tables in the Table of Contents. Do not list Table of Contents as an item in the Table of Contents. Make sure to include page numbers in the Table of Contents (it is useless without them). Make sure the chapter and section titles in the Table of Contents match exactly the chapter and section titles in the report. If you have used styles, and generated the Table of Contents from these styles, you can be sure that they match. Make sure to update the Table of Contents before turning in the final version of the report to make sure that page numbers and section titles are exactly as they are in the report. Align the page numbers to the right-hand side of the page. Align the page numbers on the units: *7 *8 *9 *10 Introduction (GINA) The Introduction should cover these topics: # Subject of the report #This section should be short, as you can give further background information in the main sections of the report. # Purpose of the report #Explain what the report will do: for example, the purpose of your report may be to discuss how blogs and podcasts can be used for learning and communication. # Scope and limitations of the report #State what the report covers and what it does not cover. For example: the report will describe the features of blogs and podcasts, but it will not cover a discussion of how to create blogs or podcasts. # Layout of the report #This section is the final paragraph in the Introduction. State clearly, in the present tense, what content each major section of the report deals with. Describe each major section in one sentence. Vary the verbs: “deals with,” “describes,” “covers,” and so on. Do not include actual titles of the sections. #For example, the layout description could read like this: “Section 1 deals with … Section 2 covers… Section 3 presents…” and so on right to the conclusion. This last paragraph in the Introduction is like a prose version of the Table of Contents. Report Sections This part of the report contains team analyses of each technology. Refer to the assignment description for information on the content requirements of the report. Blogs (VICTORIA) Wiki (GINA) Instant Messaging (JENNIFER) Email (BATUL) VoIP (HOPE) Conclusion and Recommendations (VICTORIA) Here you draw together the main points of the report and perhaps mention what you learned from this assignment. You may also have some recommendations or suggestions for how you could use these technologies in your future coursework or in your career. References Use the MLA referencing system consistently throughout the report. Only reference items you have actually mentioned in the body of the report. Appendices (BATUL) List each Appendix item separately in the Table of Contents, and state what is in the Appendix. Mention each Appendix item at some stage in the body of the report. Place the correct number and title on each Appendix item at the back of the report, for easy identification of the items. How to Number your Pages: #Place no number on the title page. #All the preliminary pages have lowercase Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, and so on). #Place the number ii on the Summary, and continue numbering the preliminary pages in sequence. #Even though you do not number the title page, it assumes the number i. #The Arabic number 1 goes on the first page of the Introduction. Continue the Arabic numbering right through to the end of the last Appendix item. Additional Resources Berry, R., 1999. Research project: how to write it. 4th ed. London: Routledge. Useful style guides include Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style (2000) and The Oxford Guide to Style (2002).